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Graduate placements and internships: what they are

Find a internship

You can use Graduate Talent Pool if you graduated between 2008 and 2011

• Find a graduate internship Opens new window

Graduate placements and internships are offered by a wide variety of organisations, covering a vast range of opportunities.

The terms ‘placement’ and ‘internship’ usually mean the same thing. However, some are paid and others are unpaid.

Every placement will be different, depending on the needs of the particular employer. But typically, you could expect to be given a specific piece of work, or a list of duties. Most placements last for a few months.

Internships and placements can give you the chance to:

• get valuable ‘hands-on’ work experience
  
• prove yourself to an employer
  
• build your confidence
  
• make contacts in your chosen industry
  
• see whether a particular role or organisation is right for you
  
• boost your future employment prospects

If you want to find out what to expect from an internship you can view the ‘Common best practice code for high-quality internships’.

• Common best practice code for high-quality internships on the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills website Opens new window

Find placements and internships

One way of finding internships is through Graduate Talent Pool. This service is available for graduates who graduated between 2008 and 2011 with at least a first degree or Foundation Degree.

You can also find out about placement opportunities at your university careers service.

• Find an internship with Graduate Talent Pool Opens new window

• Prospects: get in touch with your university careers service Opens new window

Applying for placements

If you apply for a placement or internship, it’s a good rule of thumb to approach the whole application process as if you were applying for a paid job.

To find out more, see ‘Getting a graduate job’.

• Getting a graduate job

Do you need to have work experience already?

Internships are designed to give you a taste of working for an employer. You won’t necessarily be expected to have work experience already.

However, some placements may require graduates with specific experience - so check the role description before you apply.

If you’ve got relevant work experience – for example, from a ‘sandwich’ course or part-time job – this could strengthen your application.

Interviews and assessments

Different organisations have different approaches. You may be asked to attend an interview (be prepared to discuss your longer-term career plans as well as the internship itself).

Some organisations run assessment days, where you’ll be asked to perform certain tasks to show that you’ve got the skills needed for the placement.

• Preparing for an interview (employment section)

Starting a placement

If you’re offered a placement, you’ll normally agree a contract with your employer. This will describe the duties you'll be expected to carry out. It can also include:

• your working hours
• how the quality and quantity of your work will be measured
• how much notice you must give if you want to leave the placement early
• details of any payment you’ll receive

Pay

Some placements are paid, others are not. Whether you’re entitled to payment will depend on what you actually do for the organisation - not what your role is called. If you are performing as a worker, you must be paid at least the National Minimum Wage. The exception to this is if your placement is part of a further or higher education course and lasts up to one year.

If you are taken on as a volunteer, you’re unlikely to receive payment.

Even if your placement is unpaid, it’s worth asking whether the organisation could cover your expenses, such as daily travel costs.

• Being paid and payslips (employment section)

• Workers entitled to the National Minimum Wage (employment section)

• Who is not entitled to the National Minimum Wage (employment section)

Other rights and responsibilities

On a placement, it’s a good rule of thumb to behave as if you were a permanent employee. See ‘Getting a graduate job’ for advice.

• Getting a graduate job

Claiming benefits

If you’ve been receiving Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA), you can continue to claim if your placement involves less than 16 hours’ work a week. For placements of 16 hours or more a week, you will not be able to claim JSA.

• Jobseeker's Allowance (money, tax and benefits section)

• Find an internship with Graduate Talent Pool Opens new window

If your role changes during the placement

Being asked to do more than you originally agreed could be a good sign: you may see it as an opportunity to prove your skills and increase your chances of future employment.

But if you feel that you’re being asked to do too much, talk to your employer. They may be willing to extend the internship, pay you more money, or offer you the chance to apply for a job.

Will an internship lead to a job?

There’s no guarantee that a placement will lead to a job. However, if a job does become available you’ll be in an excellent position to be considered.

Looking for jobs during your placement

If you apply for a job elsewhere that would start before your placement ends, you should tell the company you’re applying to about the notice period for your internship.

If you need to take time off for interviews, you’ll have to negotiate this with your placement employer. Remember that you may need a reference, so it’s worth handling this as professionally as possible.

• Getting a graduate job

More useful links

• Download a guide to employability for black, Asian and minority ethnic students and graduates (PDF, 614K)

Useful contacts

• Graduate Prospects

• Universities and Colleges Admission Service (UCAS)

• Universities and higher education contacts